The present disclosure relates generally to wireless networking. Digital mobile radio (DMR) is an open digital radio standard which is a two-slot, time division multiple access (TDMA) system offering voice, data, and a range of other features and applications. DMR covers the Radio frequency (RF) range of 30 MHz to 1 GHz and uses Frequency shift keying (FSK) constant envelope modulation. However, DMR has bandwidth limitations making it hard to accommodate high-bandwidth data applications. WI-FI technology (e.g., IEEE 802.11 and variants thereof, hereinafter, “Wi-Fi”) is potentially applied to radio products (e.g., repeater and subscriber units) coexisting with DMR, but it also includes limitations. Wi-Fi allows a device to exchange data wirelessly over a network, including high-speed Internet connections. The Wi-Fi Alliance defines Wi-Fi as any wireless local area network (WLAN) products that are based on the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers' (IEEE) 802.11 standards. Continuous Wi-Fi operation leads to battery life concerns in radios. Additionally, external Internet Protocol (IP) addresses and ports assigned by a Wi-Fi access point (AP) can be unknown to the radio due to Wireless local area network (WLAN) router/firewall traversal. Further, when the radio moves between APs, the mobility and addressing is unknown to remote end devices.
Broadband networks can include Wi-Fi technology (e.g., IEEE 802.11 and variants thereof), Bluetooth, WiMAX, 3G, Long Term Evolution (LTE), or the like. For example, Wi-Fi technology is potentially applied to radio products (e.g., repeater and subscriber units) coexisting with DMR, but it also includes limitations. Wi-Fi allows a device to exchange data wirelessly over a network, including high-speed Internet connections. The Wi-Fi Alliance defines Wi-Fi as any wireless local area network (WLAN) products that are based on the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers' (IEEE) 802.11 standards. Continuous Wi-Fi operation leads to battery life concerns in radios. Additionally, external Internet Protocol (IP) addresses and ports assigned by a Wi-Fi access point (AP) can be unknown to the radio due to Wireless local area network (WLAN) router/firewall traversal. Further, when the radio moves between APs, the mobility and addressing is unknown to remote end devices.
Thus, it is a challenge to converge broadband networks (e.g., Wi-Fi) effectively with narrowband networks such as DMR, because typically an end device is mobile and its coverage to a broadband network may be sporadic. In addition, it is desired that different applications running on that end device are able to select different network service per its Quality of Service (QoS) needs. In conventional DMR radios, all over-the-air (OTA) applications are over DMR. With integration of Wi-Fi and other broadband techniques in radios along with DMR, there is a need for coordination of data traffic therebetween. Further, there exists no heterogeneous network handoff standard in DMR for interoperability.
Accordingly, there is a need for systems and methods for application controlled network selection between narrowband and broadband wireless networks.
Skilled artisans will appreciate that elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help to improve understanding of embodiments of the present invention.
The apparatus and method components have been represented where appropriate by conventional symbols in the drawings, showing only those specific details that are pertinent to understanding the embodiments of the present invention so as not to obscure the disclosure with details that will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of the description herein.